My Adventure Begins
by Grimmwauld Von Gromovich Ilexa
Summary: Hey guys! This is a story I wrote based on something me (Grimm) and my friend (Shi) came up with. It's just starting out right now, and I would love some help with my grammar! So, I'll try to keep updating this and adding more chapters, and hopefully we'll get a rather nice story going! So come with me, into the world of Pokèmon!
1. Chapter 1: Beginning of a Rivalry

Hey guys! My name is Grimm. I'm from Azalea town in the Johto region, and this story starts right around when I got my first Pokémon.

But first, I think you need a bit more backstory. You see, I've always liked Pokémon. My two older brothers and I used to always go out into the Ilex forest and play with the Pokémon that lived there. Our parents were deceased, so we lived with a man named Kurt, who was known for his pokèball crafting skills.

Eventually, as it does every few years, the time when the regional professor gives out three Pokémon to new trainers came. My brothers got a ride with one of the other townsfolk to New Bark Town, but I was sick, so I had to stay home. They often teased me and held it over my head that they had Pokémon and I didn't.

Every so often, we would get to go to Goldenrod City, just on the other side of Ilex forest. While there, I would waste time and money in the game corner playing the "Voltorb Flip!" games. They're sort of like Minesweeper.

After a while, my brothers grew up, and moved on to carry out their lives as a mechanic and a guitarist. But no matter how hard I tried, or which amazing pokèball Gramps (which is what we called Kurt) would make for me, I couldn't catch any Pokémon because I didn't have one with which to weaken them (yeah, depressingly paradoxical I know).

So, now that you know a little more about me, let's get started with this adventure in the world of Pokémon!

Beads of sweat were starting to form on my forehead, and the music surrounding me was distracting, not exactly helping with my anxiety. "Voltorb Flip!" shone above me in bright, bubbly letters. I was staring at the screen with such intensity that you would think my life depended on it. And rightly so, you see I had a ticket to go see the biggest event in the world: The Pokémon League Tournament.

I had made myself two goals this summer. So I saved up the money I made from helping Gramps all summer and ordered my ticket, one goal down. The other was to get my first Pokémon before I left for the Tournament, but I was leaving the next day and only had enough time to play one more round.

You see, aside from the money I earned, I also saved up tokens to get one of the Pokémon that the casino had to offer as prizes for earning a lot of tokens. I had already earned more than enough tokens to get most of the Pokémon there, but there was one in particular that I wanted more than anything else: a Dratini. I wanted one ever since I first saw the League Tournament on TV. It was the finals match, Lance vs. Red. Though Lance did lose, his skill, determination, and style all inspired me, and I vowed to one day possess the power of one of those majestic Dragonite's he used.

"Now's not the time for thinking about not getting it!" I said to myself as I shook my head and focused once again on the screen. I had one last shot, and there were only two squares that could get me the last few coins I needed, if I chose the wrong one, I would have to get a different Pokémon.

*click* "…" I waited for a split-second that seemed like it took several minutes. Then a few more seconds.

"No, no, no, NO!" The game had frozen. At the critical moment when I needed it most, it froze. I slammed my fist down on the controls, and suddenly the machine started spewing out coins like there was no tomorrow!

I strolled up to the prize counter in a "haters gonna hate" sort of way, and exchanged my coins for my very first Pokémon.

The woman on the other side of the counter set the small cage containing my prize down in front of me and asked: "Is this one alright with you? She's a female and tends to be very gentle."

"I'll take her!" I exclaimed; The sheer exuberance almost dripping off of my face. "hmm… since she's a female, I'll call her… Tini?... no… Tina! I'll call her Tina!"

Once I was outside I let Tina out of the cage which was obviously too small for her. As she slithered out she rubbed her head against my hand for a moment, then, we set off.

Unbeknownst to me, in the land of Kanto, There was another person headed for the Tournament. His name was Shi, and he hailed from Lavender town.

I'm not exactly sure what happened, seeing as I wasn't there. However, he told me that he had been tired of being stuck in that depressingly morbid town, so he had run away to go see the tournament. But he got lost somewhere in Rock Tunnel, where he met his Zubat, which he nicknamed Darkwing. Darkwing apparently led him out of the cave using its echolocation. Then he set out for the tournament, which he bought tickets for from a scalper.

When I got to my seat was when Shi and I first met. He and I got along rather well, and we spoke with each other during the intermissions between battles.

"So your name is Shi?" I asked.

"Yup! My mom told me it means 'death' and that she gave me that name so that I would remember that it's not something to be feared and that it's a part of life. I don't really like it though…" he explained.

Eventually, the finals arrived.

"Now, introducing the challenger who battled his way through the eight gyms of Johto, the preliminary tournament known as "Victory Road", and defeated the Elite Four: GOLD!" The announcers' voice was so loud that you could've heard it from a long distance away.

Gold's battle with Lance was long and dramatic, but it has nothing to do with this story, so I'll just go ahead and skip to after the battle (Gold won, by the way).

"Man, that was intense!" I said to Shi as the workers were clearing the debris from the stadium.

"I know!" He replied "And when Agatha Showed up for a guest appearance in the pre-lims I was about to go crazy! Her Golbat is just as cool as ever!"

"I know! But that was nothing compared to Lance's Dragonite! They were AMAZING!"

He seemed somewhat irked by what I had said. "Yeah, but Agatha's Golbat was cooler."

"No," I said, "Lances Dragonite were cooler, and stronger, and all around better."

He got a bit more heated. "No, they had more brute strength. That's all. The Golbat was faster, smarter, and cooler!"

"No, Dragonite was better!"

"No, Golbat!"

This went on for several minutes until finally I said: "Well it's not like you would know. I bet you haven't even got your first pokèmon yet!"

"Ha! Well I'll have you know I have it right here!" He waved the pokèball in front of my face.

"Well then," I said in a dramatic tone "There's only one way for us to settle this: With a battle!"


	2. Chapter 2: Our First Battle!

"Hey!" I called to the workers down on the stage "Can we borrow the stadium since you guys haven't finished cleaning it yet?"

"Are you kidding me?! This stage is for the tournament competitors only!" A man, appearing to be somewhere in his mid-thirties, shouted back.

"Come on, just for a few minutes?" I pleaded.

Then, a short old man stepped up and said: "Go ahead and let the kids have their fun, it'll be good for 'em!"

The worker looked as if he had been caught between a rock and a hard place. "If you say so Mr. Chairman…"

I smirked devilishly, not realizing the weight of what had just happened, all I knew was that it was time to finally have a battle against another trainer. And what's more, it was someone I wanted to prove something to. "You ready to get your ass handed to you, punk?"

"I should be asking you that." He said. I didn't realize it then, but the two of us were so similar, that if we didn't look so different one might mistake us for brothers, or even twins.

"How's a one-on-one match sound?" I said, trying to make it seem like I had more than just Tina.

"Just the way I like my battles: No holds barred and faster than a speeding bullet."

We drew our pokèballs at the same time and tossed them between us.

"GO! TINA!" I shouted, trying to act like the official battlers.

"GO! DARKWING!" I wasn't sure if he was copying me or not.

Each of us looked at the other's Pokémon, then glared at the other simultaneously saying "I don't like you…"

Realizing I could have the advantage if I attacked first I shouted: "Tina! Use wrap!"

As Tina leapt forward at Darkwing and wrapped itself around the Zubat Shi yelled: "Darkwing! Use Leech life now that it's close!"

I thought for a moment about what I should do to stop Tina from having her blood sucked any more and remembered something.

"Use Thunder Wave Tina!" I shouted.

What I had recalled was from shortly after I had gotten Tina. The night before I was to set off to see the tournament I had been petting her and suddenly felt a tingling sensation in my hand, and then I couldn't move for several minutes. I looked up what had happened on Gramps' computer after I could finally move again and discovered that Thunder Wave to Dratini was sort of like Purring to cats, but with a little "added effect".

So, just as I had hoped, Darkwing began having trouble moving and fell to the ground since it couldn't move its wings to remain airborne.

"Now, hit it with another Wrap!"

But Shi wasn't finished yet.

"Quick! Use Supersonic!" He shouted, which Darkwing did. The deafening sound caused Tina to move a bit off course and Wrap around a rock, hurting herself.

At this point, the minor electric shock was starting to wear off, and Darkwing managed to regain altitude. "Bite it while it's confused!" Shi ordered.

I only had one choice at this point: I would have to use Tina's special attack that I had hoped to save for a stronger opponent. But Shi seemed to be of at least equal skill as I was.

"Tina!" I screamed, "Use Twister!"

Tina's eyes began to glow, and a strange power could be sensed within the stadium. Suddenly, a small tornado formed around Tina, glowing with the odd power of Dragons, enveloping Darkwing.

It took a few moments for the dust to settle, and when it did we could see both Tina and Darkwing collapsed in the stadium. Shi and I rushed to our Pokèmon's sides.

"Darkwing?! Darkwing, are you ok?!"

"Dammit, I knew I shouldn't have made you use that move Tina. We haven't practiced it enough…"

Mr. Goodshow, who had been watching the entire match, chuckled and said in a raspy voice: "Looks like a stalemate boys!"

"How can you be so calm when Darkwing is hurt so badly?!" Shi exclaimed. He didn't seem to realize that Pokèmon battles often ended in a lack of consciousness.

"Don't get your panties in a wad," I said "The League facilities are equipped with a Pokèmon Medical Center, or Pokècenter for short."

"He's right you know." Mr. Goodshow said, looking at Shi "Our medical facilities are of the highest quality, and should have your Zubat and Dratini back to fighting fit in no time!"

After leading us to the Pokècenter, Mr. Goodshow left saying he had to take care of some business, but before leaving he said to the nurse: "Joy, you take good care of these boys, alright? I see a bright future for the both of 'em."

The nurse, smiling, said "Of course Mr. Goodshow." And bowed a little.

After handing our Pokèballs to Nurse Joy, she looked at Shi and I who were glaring at each other once again and asked "let me guess: you two are new rivals, aren't you?" To which we replied "He is NOT my rival! Stop copying me! No YOU stop copying ME!"

The nurse seemed somewhat relieved when the machine chimed, signaling that our Pokèmon were finished healing. "Here you are!" She said, then, bowing slightly "We hope to see you again!"

Once we were outside, Shi and I looked each other in the eye again.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" He asked me, his voice full of scorn.

"Well, not that it's any of your business, but I'm going to beat all the gyms and earn my way into the League. Then, I'm gonna kick some ass and take some names." I said, acting overly confident. "And what will YOU do now that you've had your dreams crushed by yours truly?"

"HA! As if!" he laughed, trying to act as if the battle had gone in his favor. "I'm going to win the championship, and you won't be able to stop me!"

"Alright then," I had a wry smile on my face "Then how about we make a deal? We'll meet back here someday, and I won't lose to anybody! So you better not lose against anybody else but me, ok?"

He smirked as well. "Oh, trust me, I won't be losing to anyone, just like I didn't lose today."

And so we set off, both headed for Viridian City, though neither of us realized the other was going there as well.


	3. Chapter 3: Capture or Failure

Eventually I reached the fair-sized town, although it was dark by then. I decided it would be best to head for the Pokècenter and get some rest for the night so as to get an early start the next day.

The next morning I went down the street to a small café for trainers and had a crepe, which I had heard was rather tasty from the Joy at the center; and it was indeed delicious. I also ordered some meaty-looking food for Tina, as the waitress had recommended it.

After our meal, Tina and I left some money on the table and headed for Viridian City's local Gym.

"After all," I said to the small snake-like creature, "If we're going to challenge the league we're going to have to start somewhe-"I stopped abruptly.

Standing in front of the Gym's doors was Shi.

He looked over at me and glared.

"What's the matter?" I asked in a mock-sympathetic voice. "Already get beaten again?"

"No." He replied sharply "But the Gym is closed since the leaders away."

"Well damn." I said, walking over to the doors to read the sign. "That's a crying shame… guess we'll just have to go somewhere else to train, eh Tina?"

"I guess I'll do some training before heading to Pewter city…" Shi muttered as I was walking away.

Back at the Pokècenter, I had packed my things and was heading out the door when the Nurse called me back.

"Are you going to Pewter city?" She asked. She must have realized I was an aspiring trainer.

"Yes, why? Is there something important going on there?" I asked, unsure.

"No," She answered "but you should really stop by the town shop to pick up some antidotes. Viridian forest is full of poisonous insects."

"Oh…" I said. I had already spent all of my money on pokèballs and breakfast.

"Be careful!" The nurse said as I left. "And we hope to see you again!"

When leaving Viridian City, there was a short walk along route 2 before reaching the edge of the forest. Along this route, there was a large open field often used by trainers.

I saw Shi practicing with his Zubat against some wild Pidgey. I tried to ignore him, but once the injured birds all flew away he did something truly stupid.

"Okay Darkwing!" He said, acting excited "Let's try out that new move you learned!"

I was somewhat confused, because there was nothing around for him to use that move against. But then I realized what his target was: Himself.

He started staggering, somewhat drunkenly, around the field. I tried to run away before he could notice me, but I was too late.

"Oh hey buddy!" He exclaimed as he ran towards me. "What're you doin' out here?"

He ran into me and threw his arm around my shoulders drawing our heads close together conspiratorially.

"Listen, man" he said in a whisper, way to close for comfort. "Don't tell nobody, but…" He snickered slightly before yelling, at full volume, right into my ear: "I LIKE PIE!"

"Get the hell off me!" I yelled, grabbing his arm and throwing him over my shoulders the way I had seen some martial artists do.

I walked away, leaving him laughing hysterically in the grass. "Disgusting freak…"

Once inside the forest, I decided it would probably be best if I were to train for a while, so Tina and I started battling whatever and whoever we could find.

After defeating the third bug catcher I met, I decided that I should probably catch another Pokémon, seeing as Tina had only managed to stay conscious since I had been lucky enough to find an antidote that someone had dropped. True, I could just go back to Viridian City and buy some more with the money I had earned from my battles, but I didn't want to chance running into "Drunken Death" again.

So, I had decided that the next Pokémon I found would be my second partner.

I began trembling.

"Ni~?" Tina mewled whilst rubbing against my trembling hand. I felt the slight electrical tingling along my arm, helping to stop my shaking and calm my nerves. It was pleasant once you got used to it, and thankfully enough Tina had also learned to better control herself.

"Thanks Tina, but I'm alright. I'm just really nervous, you know? I've never caught a Pokémon before, and all I'm used to using are Gramps's homemade ones."

My musings were then interrupted by a rustling in the brush ahead.

"Here we go." I muttered nervously.

And out of the tall grass crawled a Weedle. Small, a bit runtish even for an insect. I had heard that most Weedle were about a foot tall to the top of their stingers; but this one was hardly ten inches, and it's horn was hardly proportionate.

"Ok Tina, let's do this! Use Thunder Wave!" I shouted.

The small insect became sluggish, and it was obvious that it was losing balance due to its large horn.

"Now use wrap! But be careful of its poisonous stinger!"

Tina was executing my commands perfectly, and it was clear that our training had paid off. But now was the time to see if I had the skills to do what needed to be done.

"Ok Tina, get out of the way!" I shouted as I reached into the tattered messenger bag I was using to carry my supplies and pulled out a small red and white sphere, about the size of a large marble. I pressed the small button on the side of the pokèball and adjusted my grip as it expanded.

"Ok…" I took a deep breath "Here we go!" The throw was perfect, and the orb hit the Weedle right on its side. The orb opened, and a thin beam of red light drew the small insect inside it. The ball had only wiggled a small amount when it burst open, broken by the caterpillar-like creature's large horn.

"Ok, let's try that again!" I yelled before throwing another, but to no avail.

So I tried again, and again, and AGAIN. But no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't get the Weedle to remain encapsulated long enough for it to be permanently restrained.

I had whittled my way down to my very last pokèball, and still the Pokémon refused to be captured.

A tear flowed down my cheek, and I looked at the orb in my hand again. "Is this what I'm doomed to? Failure as a trainer? After all, a single Pokémon can only get so strong; so what happens when Tina gets that strong and I have no other partners to help me through?" I looked up to the sky; my tears were now flowing more rapidly. "HOW THE HELL AM I GONNA GET STRONGER IF I CAN'T CATCH A SINGLE POKEMON?!"

But then I remembered something Gramps had told me: "Now remember Grimmwauld, if you just throw pokèballs randomly then you're no better than the lowest of poachers. If you really want to catch a Pokémon, to become it's friend, then you have to connect to its heart. Then, you throw the pokèball at its center of life."

My tears had stopped now, and I looked over at the Weedle determinedly. "I'm going on a journey," I said "to get stronger and become a better person. I would really like it if you could help me, even if only for a little while. So I'm going to throw this last pokèball. And if I manage to catch you then you agree to give me a hand, ok?"

Gripping the ball firmly, I looked for a point that could be the insect's life center.

"That's it!" I said. And, throwing the pokèball with all my might, hit the Weedle right on the top of its stinger. Once again the thin beam of light stretched out. Once again the Weedle was drawn inside of the orb. And once again the sphere began to shake. But this time I didn't waver. This time I didn't consider what would happen if I couldn't catch the Pokémon. And this time the pokèball stopped. With the button glowing a bright red I picked it up, and lifted it towards the sky screaming "I FINALLY DID IT!"


	4. Chapter 4: The First Badge

I spent a few more hours in the Viridian Forest so as to train Sting (which is what I had decided to name the Weedle due to its rather large stinger).

I had learned earlier from one of the Bug Catchers I had encountered that Bug-type Pokémon tended to evolve rather quickly, but that was an understatement. Within the first two hours of his training sting had begun to wrap himself with a fine silk and, eventually, became a Kakuna. Shortly after that he had burst through his hardened shell as a Beedrill. To be honest, the difference in power and in presence was so prevalent that I would've thought that I had somehow gotten the wrong Kakuna to follow me around if it weren't for his stingers. Yes, his very namesake was still as disproportionate as ever, making him a powerful fighter, but very slow.

Once outside the forest, I bumped into someone I really didn't want to see.

"Well look what the cat dragged in!" Shi said mockingly as he saw me coming out of the forest. "A little lost lamb finding his way out of the dark scary woods!"

"Oh shut it you drunken hobo!" I said.

"What did you just call me?" He apparently didn't recall our last encounter.

"You honestly don't remember staggering around like an idiot after your own Pokémon attacked you?" I said, somewhat mockingly.

"Oh…" He seemed somewhat embarrassed now that he had recalled his drunken escapades. "Well at least I didn't get lost in the woods on my way here!"

"For your information, I was training, not lost!" I retorted rather matter-of-factly.

"Well so was I! And I bet my Pokémon is now WAY stronger than yours!" He emphasized the "way" as if to say he was equivalent to the champion when compared to me.

"Well I happen to have gotten a new Pokémon out of the forest that could totally kick your stupid Zubat's ass!" Our discussion was reaching its eminent finale.

"I bet the Pokémon I got out of the forest is better than yours!"

"Only one way to find out!" I said, reaching for my bag in which I carried the two pokèballs containing my meager team.

"I couldn't agree more!" He reached into the white backpack he was apparently using to carry his supplies.

"GO, STING!" I threw the pokéball into the space between us, the throw sending it into a high arch.

"GO, BUTTERFREE!" He tossed his pokéball somewhat low.

As the two Pokémon erupted from the pokéballs and we realized what we had done, we glared at each other saying: "I don't like you…"

Once again, I decide to take the initiative and attack first.

"Sting! Use Twineedle!" I shouted, and Sting obliged. He charged forwards jabbing with his abnormally large stingers.

Shi's Butterfree tried to avoid Sting's attack, but only managed to evade the first strike.

"Butterfree!" Shi shouted, trying to gain control over the situation "Counter attack with Confusion!"  
The large, majestic insect replied by assaulting my Beedrill with psychic energy, causing him to fall.

"Use Poison Sting!" I yelled.

The shot hit the Butterfree right in the center of its purplish body.

"Now go for another Twineedle!" I shouted, as sting flew upwards some so as to have extra force from gravity.

"Butterfree! Use Sleep Powder!" Shi yelled.

As the butterfly-like creature scattered the thin dust with its wings, Sting was hit full force with the natural tranquilizer. Sting fell with all his weight on top of Shi's Butterfree, pinning it to the ground with his unconscious body.

We Glared at each other viciously as we withdrew our Pokémon.

"I don't like you…"

I shoved my pokéball back into my messenger bag and pulled out the only other pokéball I had: Tina's.

"You ready to settle this, Shi?" I said as I was about to throw my pokéball, but he put up his hand as a way of telling me to stop.

"I've got business to take care of, so we'll have to settle this another time." For once, he didn't sound like he despised me on the level of garbage.

"Really?" I said snidely "What could be so important that you'd run away from a battle? Surely you're not scared you'll lose?"

"No!" He snapped "I just don't want you to be at a disadvantage in the dark!"

So, keeping as much distance as was possible without either of us leaving the path, we headed for the Pewter City Pokémon Center.

Once there, we both walked up to the counter and said simultaneously: "I need a room for the night." Then glared viciously at each other.

"You must be Grimm and Shi, right?" The nurse Joy behind the counter asked.

"Yes." I replied "But how did you know that?"

"I heard that a couple of rowdy trainers with a knack for causing trouble would be headed this way from the nurse Joy in Viridian City" She giggled girlishly. It was an infectious and intoxicatingly lovely thing. "We Joys like to talk, you know?"

"You hear that Grimm? You're infamous for causing trouble!" Shi said snidely.

"She said a PAIR of trainers you idiot, that means that you're included in this as well."

Shi stopped talking when he realized I was right, and Nurse Joy simply giggled again as she handed us our keys and directed us to our rooms.

The next morning, as I stepped out of the Pokècenter and headed in the direction of the local gym, I noticed something was horrendously wrong: Shi was training again. I decided that I would head in the exact opposite direction so as to avoid another incident.

I decided that I could chance going back towards the gym after wandering around a bit and getting a small breakfast for Tina, Sting, and myself. When I reached the gym though…

"I've been waiting for you to show up, Grimm." Shi was wearing the biggest grin I'd ever seen, and something about that had me worried.

"Aww, you missed me that much?" I retorted sarcastically.

"Yeah," He said, playing along with my little joke "Not so much missed you as looked forward to shoving THIS in your face!" I could barely make out what he was holding from where I was at, so I warily stepped closer.

"Is that…?" I left the question unfinished, because I knew the answer already; but still he answered:

"Yep! My very own boulderbadge, courtesy of the Pewter City gym leader Brock!"

I grinned slightly, trying to put up a front against my own surprise and nervousness. "Well, if you got one then I won't even need to challenge Brock!" I was shaking in my shoes, and Shi knew it.

"Well, you can think that if you want, but in all honesty this puts me in a class far above the likes of you." His higher than though attitude was starting to piss me off, but I couldn't let his arrogant taunting get the better of me.

"I guess I'll just have to go get my own then!" I shouted at him.

"You can try, but even if you DO manage to beat him, I'll already have a head start to the next town. Who knows if you'll ever make up the ground you've lost?"

I headed inside, determined to beat the gym leader and knock Shi far off his high horse. What I hadn't realized was the fact that before one can battle the leader of a gym they've got to beat some of the apprentices who trained under the leader's tutelage. After about an hours' worth of battling I finally reached the leader.

He was a muscular man, broad in the shoulders with a toned definition that showed through his shirt. "I am Brock," he said "If you're here then that means you've beaten my apprentices. Are you ready to battle me?"

"Yes sir!" I replied, determined not to let his physique intimidate me.

"All right, but I should warn you: my Pokémon are all of the rock-type. With their help I've become tough as the stones I train alongside."

"Enough chit-chat, let's get this started!" I yelled as I threw Sting's pokéball into the designated battling area between us.

"I like your spunk!" Brock said in reply, tossing his own pokéball into the arena.

At the head of his team Brock used a pair of Geodudes that were nearly identical in power and in their intense levels of defense. In order to defeat them I had Sting retain a fair distance and whittle down their health using poison sting. Luckily enough, Sting still retained the ability to harden its body in case of danger from when it was a Kakuna; But still, the pair's powerful attacks took their toll, and Sting fell partway through our battle with Brock's second Geodude.

"Go, Tina!" I threw her pokéball into the arena, hoping that my partner could finish this battle without much trouble, and she did. After eliminating the small amount of health the Geodude still had using wrap however, Brock decided to bring out his own trump card...

"So, this Dratini is your partner?" Brock asked as he returned his felled Pokémon to its pokéball and handed it to one of his apprentices who healed it using a high class medical machine similar to the ones I saw in the Pokécenters.

"Yes." I answered "Although my journey has only just started, Tina here has been with me every step of the way."

"That's good." Brock said, reaching for the last pokéball he had resting on his beltline. "Every trainer will use different Pokémon along his or her journey. Some of them will be more powerful than others, some more permanent; but one thing's for certain: A trainer will never, EVER forget his first Pokémon. Would you like to meet mine? He's been with me for nearly my entire life, and he's helped me shape this gym into what it is today."

I smirked. I couldn't really explain it; even though he sounded intimidating, even though he seemed to be bringing something out that was even more powerful than the duo that had felled half my team. Despite all that, I felt like this was right. A battle shouldn't simply be a comparison of strength or a test for some badge. No, a battle should be a true connection; not just between trainer and Pokémon, but between the two trainers as well. A clashing of souls that would affect everyone involved, and forever change their lives. "To be completely honest with you sir, I'm terrified of whatever it is you're about to do."

"That's good," Brock returned my smirk, almost as if he felt the same way I did. "You're admitting that you're afraid, and that's the first step to conquering your fear."

"Well then, why don't you go ahead and let me finish!" I shouted.

"Onix! Let's show this trainer what we can do!" Brock shouted as he obligingly through his pokéball into the arena.

If I hadn't just gone through that whole conversation about needing to conquer my fear, then this would've been when I peed my pants and ran home crying. The animal that had emerged from his pocket-sized container could've only been described as a giant stone snake. It was easily twenty feet long, probably longer, and the large spine on its head seemed to somewhat resemble a sword.

"Tina, use slam!" I wasn't sure if taking the initiative would win the battle for me or not; hell, I wasn't sure if I COULD win this battle, but I had to try.

The attack seemed relatively useless, barely causing the Onix to twitch; and after being thrown all the way back to my feet by a seemingly nonchalant tail swing, Tina appeared even more comparatively pitiful.

"What should we do Tina?" I asked, my charisma quickly fading.

Tina looked up at me with tired eyes, but they showed determination as well; then, Tina nodded. It was a simple signal, one that could be interpreted in any number of ways, but in this case it could only have one.

"But Tina, you know we haven't gotten it right yet! The last time we even tried practicing you got hurt pretty bad!"

"Perhaps it isn't my place to say," Brock interrupted "But often times, you should follow your heart. If you truly believe in your Pokémon, and they believe in you, then everything will turn out just fine."

I waited for a moment. "Are you certain you want to do this?" I asked. Tina nodded again, her eyes showing such determination as I had never seen before. "All right then, let's do this!"

I stood up, looking towards Brock who was waiting patiently. "I appreciate the advice, sir." I said, Tina now rising from the floor ahead of me. "Now then: TINA, USE TWISTER!"

As I screamed the command, Tina's eyes began to glow as they had at the league stadium when I had my first battle against Shi. While the energy was gathering, and Tina began to have a whirlwind develop around her body, I smiled. I wasn't smirking this time, I wasn't attempting to show charisma or contempt; this time, I was smiling because I had faith.

As the dust settled, and Tina came to rest near my feet again, I froze in terror. Not only was Brock smiling, but his Onix also appeared unharmed. I nearly fell to the ground in tears. Despite all my faith, despite all our hard work, and despite all our determination and power, Brock wasn't defeated; but then:

"Congratulations on your victory!"

I looked up in astonishment. As Brock spoke the words in a loud, resonating voice, his Onix fell. The sound of the large beast crashing to the floor was deafening.

"Come here." Brock said, and I naturally obeyed. "Everyone has a dream that fills their heart, a journey they must take, a destiny to fulfill. As close as our imaginations exists a magical place where wondrous creatures with incredible powers help make dreams come true: It's the world of Pokémon." As he spoke, he reached for a small box that the apprentice from earlier handed him. "In this world are many people, each with their own wishes; along with many Pokémon that will help them. I believe you showed true courage today, and for that, I present you with this: the Boulderbadge." He handed me the box, which I opened as immediately and excitedly as a child on Christmas morning. "Along with that, I extend to you my best wishes. I hope you can find your own dream, and you can reach your own goals. Find your own path in life, and don't ever waver from it. Congratulations Grimmwauld, you've just earned your very first gym badge."


	5. Chapter 5: Dance Party

After defeating Brock and allowing Tina to rest at the Pokécenter for a bit I had decided to head towards Mt. Moon, seeing as it was the only way that I could reach Cerulean City. The path leading towards the mountain was so crowded with trainers who all wanted to battle that by the time I reached the base night was beginning to fall. Luckily enough for me, there was a Pokécenter located just outside the maw of the large cave that led to the other side of the mountain.

"Here's your key," The nurse said, smiling "Your room is the last door on the left."

Before heading down the hall I stopped myself, a sudden thought occurring.

"Excuse me nurse," I said across the counter "But by any chance, did you happen to see another trainer about my age pass through here today? He would've been about an inch shorter than me, had black hair, and he should've had a Zubat with him."

"Hm? Oh, yes, I did see a boy like that earlier today. He just stopped in rather quickly to recover his Pokémon before heading through the mountain. Like most trainers who pass through here, he was trying to show off his boulderbadge." She giggled that classic nurse Joy giggle.

"And… How far could he have gotten through the mountain since then? Would he have made it all the way through?"

"Hmm… No, I think that by the time he would've made it over to the other side it would've been night time already. My guess is that your friend is probably staying inside the cave. Although, his Zubat would've been able to speed up his travel time since they're used to the dark… I think your friend is probably just fine!"

"Well damn." I replied bitterly "I was really hoping the little punk would get lost or hurt or something."

"Well that's mean!" Nurse Joy proclaimed "How could you say that about anyone?!"

"I just call 'em as I see 'em Nurse. He kept on rubbing his badge in my face and going on with this 'higher than thou' attitude, not to mention the fact that he always acted like he won even though I was CLEARLY the victor in all of our bouts!"

"That's not the way he put it when he stopped by here." The nurse interjected. "He said that there was someone he had fought who was STRONGER than Brock. He said 'Brock was tough, but this guy is impossible. I've not beaten him once, and I'm afraid that if I don't get a head start soon that he'll beat me!' He said that even though they didn't get along that he respected this trainer, and that no matter what he would beat him when they met for the match they promised each other!" She looked at me with knowing eyes, easily detecting the guilt that now showed in my expression. "By the by," she began anew "You haven't applied for a trainer card yet, have you?"

"Umm… no." I replied, utterly confused. I had no idea what a trainer card was.

"Well would you like to? You can do it at any other center, but if you go ahead and take care of it now you won't have to worry about it later."

"But why?" I asked

"Because a trainer card acts like a license, it shows that you're a legitimate trainer. You'll have to have at least one badge to get it, but it comes with a badge case and doesn't cost anything. You'll also need one for if and when you decide to register for the league." She had already reached under the counter for one of said badge cases.

"Well, if I'm going to need it eventually, it can't hurt to go ahead and grab one now." I replied

After getting my picture taken and having my card printed I headed into my room for the night.

The next morning when I awoke, I decided to take care of some training before heading through the mountain cave.

After a few minutes of simply running Tina and Sting through a few of their moves, I remembered the way that Shi had trained.

"What an idiot…" I muttered to myself "Surely his Pokémon couldn't have been THAT powerful… Tina, I want to try something new!"

Looking over at me, Tina nodded attentively.

"I want you… I want you to use wrap… on me…" A bit confused, Tina reluctantly started slithering towards me.

"Come on; get the led out of your tail!" I shouted, trying to make it seem as if I wasn't scared.

Moving faster, Tina leapt at me and wrapped her snake-like body around my arm. After a few seconds of squeezing I felt like my arm was going to break. Wincing slightly, I tried to slide my other hand under her chin, at which point she slithered onto that arm and wrapped around it. I attempted to repeat this maneuver, but the same result occurred.

After having Tina swap arms a few more times I had a sudden idea.

"Sting, come over here and dance with us!" I said, seeing as my Beedrill had only been watching in a rather lonely manner from the sidelines. I pulled my small MP3 player that I had brought with me from home out of my pocket; then, I turned the volume up and pressed play.

The song we danced to was slow, and sort of rockish. Our movements matched this description as well (unfortunately). After a few minutes of confused flailing however, our ragtag team of three (myself included) managed to find a simple rhythm.

"Hey, that's a great way of training!" The interruption nearly made me lose my balance.

"It's obvious you're pretty new to Pokémon training, but you obviously understand the basics. If a trainer and his Pokémon can't work together as a team then they'll never be able to win." The boy was about my age; although he was slightly taller, had dark hair, and was wearing a navy blue shirt with a pair of cargo shorts. "My name's Lloyd, what's yours?"

"I'm Grimm, nice to meet you." I was kind of surprised by this guy, as he was the first person aside from a nurse who had spoken to me without wanting to battle since I had left Azalea town.

"Say Grimm, are you by any chance headed towards Cerulean City?" He asked. I wasn't quite sure where he was headed with this.

"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" I responded.

"Well, I happen to be going as well, and since trainers usually get stronger if they train together with others I thought we could go through the mountain together." He answered.

"Well, I can't see why not…" I could, in fact , see why. We had never met before, we didn't know anything about each other or what sort of trouble we might cause for each other; but I didn't want to be rude.

"Great!" His smile was like a child on Christmas morning. "We'll meet up in front of the tunnel in a half hour, ok?"

"Right…" I replied, wondering if I should've told him no.


End file.
